Police remind Sarasota residents of jury duty scam

Sarasota, Florida -- The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is helping spread the word to residents about what is known as "the jury duty scam."

County residents have reported receiving phone calls from people claiming they are a court employee or with the "warrant department," and that an arrest warrant had been issued because they failed to report to jury duty. The scammer will then ask for payment to clear up the matter, typically in the form of a "green dot" credit card.

Once the victim obtains the card and loads the required funds onto it, the scammer asks for the card number and the access code on the back. With the transaction complete, the scammer disconnects the phone number from which they called to avoid detection.

It is important for all citizens to know that law enforcement and court employees NEVER make requests for payment over the telephone and NEVER request personal financial information. A similar warning was issued in December, so please share this information once again with friends, family, neighbors and organizations to which you belong.